Alexander 2nd

It was a tiered system with nobility at the top and delegates elected by peasants at the bottom.

Managed to solve a reasonable amount of the peasant's problems despite weighting being on the side of the nobility.

Assassinated in 1881 by the Populist group 'The People's Will'

Alexander 3rd:

Known as the oppressor in contrast with his father's liberating ideals

Served 1881-1894

Introduced:

Imprisonment w/o trial

Okhrana to crush opposition

Autocracy - Land captains replaced elected Justices of Peace 1889

Russification

Russification

Introduced to ensure the repression of opponents.

What it entailed

Russia became the main language in 1885

Anti-Semitic policy intensified and pogroms carried out.

Orthodoxy made uniform as it was used as a form of control over wide spread Russia

Reinforcing of autocracy

Who Supported Russification?

Bureaucrats and land owners - as they believed in maintaining the order and uniform nature of the Russian class division.

Soldiers concerned with security welcomed reforms to the army as they were concerned about Russia's ethnic minorities, especially on the borders; Baltic Coast, Transcaucasia

The church (Orthodox Priests) - as due to Russia's diverse cultures there were lots of other religions, and Russification unified them + furthered the power of the Holy Synod, namely the procurator Konstantin Pobedonostsev*

He was a huge proponent of Russification and is thought to have been the mastermind behind Alexander's manifesto ('The Manifesto on Unshakeable Autocracy')of April 1881 shortly after he was instated.

Industrialisation

During Alex 3's time, three ministers attempted to reform the economy.

Nikolai Bunge - Created Land Bank (1883) which aimed to help peasants purchase land from the nobility, who held most of it.

Sergei Witte- 1892-1903 - Proponent of state intervention. Massively advanced the Trans-Siberian railway - aimed to link the East of Russia to the disconnected West. This would increase industry and migration to developed areas. (Never finished)

Failed due to little migration + govt. ran up large debts and were forced to increase taxes which resulted in less consumerism and didn't imrpove agricultural industry.

The drive for industrialisation was generally positive for the economy but negative for lower classes.

Peasants were restricted by the mir (A self-governing body of peasants that consisted of elected officials).

They possessed all the poorer quality land - The nobility retained most of the good arable lands.

Bad working class conditions for urban workers - Due to overcorwding they had a low standard of living.